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Thankful for opportunity to see John Cena

Code of the Cubman

By Matt Churella 4 min read

Steel City Con delivered a massive win by bringing John Cena to Monroeville since many

Pittsburgh area fans didn't get to see him during his "the last time is now" WWE farewell tour last year.

In July 2024, at the Money in the Bank premium live event in Toronto, Cena announced 2025 would be his final year of in-ring competition. After the announcement, Cena made 36 final appearances in arenas across the world, concluding in December with his retirement match against Gunther in Washington, D.C.

Unless western Pennsylvania wrestling fans were willing to travel to other states and spend a lot of money for seats, there wasn't an opportunity for fans to formally say goodbye to the leader of the Cenation until his Aug. 8 appearance at Steel City Con.

Cena's VIP package for the event, which included admission to the convention, a premium autograph, a professional photo opportunity, exclusive convention merchandise and priority access to his autograph and photo sessions was about $700.

Needless to say, I only bought a professional photo with Cena, who was cordial and took time to shake hands with everyone who met him, both before and after the photo was taken.

The photo cost about $225, but I knew the moment Cena was announced for the convention that his autographs and photos were going to sell out fast -- and they did. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to buy one, and sometimes you've just got to bite the bullet and do what makes you happy.

While it is a lot of money for a brief interaction, the cost of going to a WWE event these days is significantly more, which is a conversation for another day.

For comparison, though, you're lucky if you get a seat in the upper bowl seating of any arena for a "Raw" or "Smackdown" for $225 these days. The lower bowl seats are about twice as much and ringside seats generally range from $700 to $1,000 per person.

I'm lucky I grew up in the era when you could buy a decent lower-level seat for a WWE house show -- the nontelevised live events -- at the Bryce Jordan Center for about $50.

The first time I ever saw Cena wrestle was Jan. 22, 2011, at the Bryce Jordan Center, where he defeated "New Nexus" leader, CM Punk, who cut a heel promo about Penn State football and Joe Paterno prior to the match. Exactly one year to the day, Paterno passed away, which is ironically how I'm able to remember the date of my first WWE event.

During intermission, they announced that Cena had signed copies of his DVD, "The John Cena Experience," prior to the show, which was available at the merchandise stand for $20.

I remember asking my mom for money, running up the stairs, buying one and feeling on top of the world afterward.

I saw Cena only a handful of times after that event.

In May 2015, he returned to the Bryce Jordan Center to defend the United States championship against Rusev in a steel cage. In September 2023, as a birthday gift for my mom, I took her with me to Pittsburgh for the "WWE Payback" premium live event, which Cena appeared at, both as the event's host and later as the special guest referee for LA Knight versus The Miz.

Then, as a surprise, Cena came to the aid of Cody Rhodes during WrestleMania XL in April 2024 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Cena put Solo Sikoa through the announce table with the attitude adjustment -- his finishing move in which he lifts his opponent onto his shoulders, squats down and then throws them forward onto their back -- before coming face to face with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in what was probably the greatest finish to a match that I have ever seen live.

When it comes to the conversation of who the greatest wrestler of all time is, many fans will justifiably point to someone like Ric Flair or "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

But when it comes to my generation of fans, Cena was the name and face of the WWE. We grew up living by the motto of hustle, loyalty and respect just as much as people were saying their prayers and eating their vitamins in the mid-1980s.

So, to be able to meet my childhood hero and thank him for the memories, it was an experience I will never forget, and I'm grateful to the promoters at Steel City Con for the opportunity.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520 and mchurella@altoonamirror.com

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